The present invention relates to large area surface cleaning tools, and more particularly relates to large area surface cleaning tools for suctioning both dust and debris from a surface.
It is well known that vacuum cleaners employ various types of cleaning tools or attachments each specifically designed to clean a particular type, shape or size of surface. For instance, large area surface cleaning tools are designed specifically for cleaning large surface areas, such as floors, and the like. Such large area surface cleaning tools include a housing with a suctioning bottom opening having a large cross-sectional area, with the bottom opening being defined by a perimeter wall. The bottom edge of the perimeter wall may be flat or may be ridged, or may comprise downwardly extending brush bristles or rubber squeegees in the case of wet vacuum tools. In any case, in use, the bottom edge of the peripheral wall remains generally in close proximity to the floor in order to maintain a suctioning force sufficient enough to urge dust on the surface being cleaned into the interior of the housing of the large area surface cleaning tool.
An elongate wand is either permanently or removably connected in suctioning relation to the housing, which elongate wand has an internal passageway having a significantly smaller cross-sectional area than the large cross-sectional area of the bottom opening of the large area surface cleaning tool.
There are several inter-related design factors to be considered in the design of a vacuum cleaner and the specific tools that are used with it, such as large area surface cleaning tools. In general, vacuum cleaners and their tools are designed to pick up dust, debris, litter, and so on, quickly and powerfully, in order to maximize vacuuming effectiveness, including minimizing the time spent vacuuming.
In order to maximize vacuuming effectiveness, the airflow (measured in volume of air per unit time) and the suction (typically measured by the height of a column of water that can be raised) generated by the suctioning unit must be optimized. However, it is well known that suctioning units that have high air flow tend to have less than ideal suction capability, and suctioning units that have high suction tend to have less than ideal air flow. Accordingly, even for powerful industrial type vacuum cleaners, the practical limits for air flow and suction are easily reached. Therefore, the cleaning capability of a vacuum cleaner""s tools is correspondingly limited. Moreover, fine particulate filters that are incorporated into many modern vacuum cleaners can filter only so much air per unit time, thus providing yet another barrier to maximizing the effectiveness of a vacuum cleaner by merely increasing the airflow and suction.
In the specific case of large area surface cleaning tools, it is well known they should be as wide as possible in order to permit vacuuming of an area as quickly as possible. Further, due to the above discussed air flow and suction limitations, they should be quite narrow in depth from front to back in order to minimize the cross-sectional area of the suctioning bottom opening. Even with a narrow as practical depth from front to back, large area surface cleaning tools have a maximum width of about two feet.
Another necessary consideration is that there is also a maximum overall space between the tool and the floor in order to maintain sufficient airflow and suctioning into the interior of the tool. If this maximum overall space is exceeded, the airflow and suction will be too low to cause effective cleaning. Accordingly, many surface cleaning tools are made to suction only fine debris, such as dust and other fine particulate matter.
However, when using such a large area surface cleaning tool to vacuum a large generally flat surface such as a floor, it is common to encounter small pieces of debris, especially when cleaning shop floors and in industrial situations such as warehouse floors. These small pieces of debris are too large to pass between the bottom edge of a surface cleaning tool and the surface being cleaned, even though the debris may be small enough to be suctioned up by the vacuum cleaner, and are merely pushed around the surface by the large area surface cleaning tool. In order to suction these larger pieces of debris, the large area surface cleaning tool must be lifted up off the surface and then be accurately set down directly onto the debris and the bottom edge of the peripheral wall of the housing must again come into close proximity with the surface being cleaned in order to establish sufficient airflow to urge the debris into the inlet end of the elongate wand. This method is highly undesirable, especially in industrial situations, where the large area surface cleaning tools are heavy. Also, such lifting of a large area surface cleaning tool must typically be done with two hands, even though generally pushing it around can be accomplished with one hand.
Alternatively, some floor tools have small gaps between their bottom edge and the surface being cleaned, which gaps permit the suctioning of small debris, such as sawdust and small woodchips and the like, but not larger debris. However, such gaps are included at the sacrifice of width of the tool by virtue of compromised vacuum and air flow to the outer ends of the tool. Still, it is necessary to lift up the tool and set it back down in order to pick up large debris.
Furthermore, large area surface cleaning tools often have another significant drawback. They may be too narrow from front to back to suction debris between the front and back portions of the perimeter wall. This relationship is even narrower in the case of wet vacuum tools. In this case, the suctioning hose that connects to the wand can be separated from the elongate wand and the user can bend down and suction up debris directly with the hose. However, this is also highly undesirable since it is labour intensive and time consuming.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a large area surface cleaning tool that permits suctioning of both dust and debris from a surface without having to pick up the head and set it down onto debris.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a large area surface cleaning tool that permits suctioning of both dust and debris from a surface while manipulating the tool with one hand.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a large area surface cleaning tool that permits suctioning of both dust and debris from a surface without separating the tool from a suctioning hose.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a large area surface cleaning tool that permits suctioning of both dust and debris from a surface with increased effectiveness and efficiency.
In accordance with one aspect off the present invention, there is disclosed a novel hand-manipulable surface cleaning tool for suctioning both dust and debris from a surface being cleaned. The hand-manipulable surface cleaning tool comprises a housing defining a substantially hollow interior, and having a perimeter wall portion that terminates downwardly in a surface facing peripheral bottom edge that defines a suctioning bottom opening in dust transfer relation with a dust and debris outlet disposed in the housing, and having at least one debris passing opening disposed in the perimeter wall portion and in debris transfer relation with the dust and debris outlet. The dust and debris outlet is connectable to a hand wand means for delivery of dust and debris to a vacuum source. At least one selectively movable portion is operatively mounted on the housing for movement between an open configuration whereat debris is admitted through the debris passing opening and a closed configuration whereat debris is precluded from being admitted through the debris passing opening. A means is provided for moving the selectively movable portion between the closed configuration and the open configuration.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a novel hand-manipulable surface cleaning tool for suctioning both dust and debris from a surface being cleaned. The hand-manipulable surface cleaning tool comprises a housing defining a substantially hollow interior, and having a perimeter wall portion that terminates downwardly in a surface facing peripheral bottom edge that defines a suctioning bottom opening in dust transfer relation with a dust and debris outlet, and having at least one debris passing opening disposed in the perimeter wall portion and in debris transfer relation with the dust and debris outlet disposed in the housing. The dust and debris outlet is removably connectable in dust and debris delivery relation to a vacuum source. At least one selectively movable portion is operatively mounted on the housing for movement between an open configuration whereat debris is admitted through the debris passing opening and a closed configuration whereat debris is precluded from being admitted through the debris passing opening. A means is provided for moving the selectively movable portion between the closed configuration and the open configuration.
Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described herein below.